Below, in no particular order, are links to the major Australian literary journals and magazines currently accepting submissions, and a little information on each. I’ve only included those that are reasonably well-known and feature at least two pieces of unsolicited fiction per issue. Even though most of the information is from the publications’ websites and/or current issues (as of 24 June, 2014), be sure to read their style guide and submission guidelines yourself before submitting your work. I also recommend reading a couple of recent issues to identify emerging trends and see if they’ve recently published a story similar to yours. As you’ll see, most don’t pay very well compared to non-fiction, and most take a while to reply to submissions, but having a story in any of these is sure to help your writing career.

If I’ve missed any of your favourites, please don’t hesitate to say so in a comment and include a web address if possible. Thanks for reading and good luck: the short story industry is quite competitive at the moment.

MEANJIN QUARTERLY

Description: “Known primarily as a literary magazine, Meanjin reflect[s] the breadth of contemporary thinking, be it on literature, other art forms, or the broader issues of the times.”

Submission Guidelines:“Fiction pieces should be approximately 2,000 to 4,000 words long. Word lengths are flexible in exceptional cases. For a sense of the kind of writing we publish in ‘Fiction’ visit our website.”

Submission Deadline: Submissions open.

Estimated Response Time: Three to four months.

Commission: “Meanjin pays 20c per word for prose published in the printed edition and $50 per printed page for poetry. Online-only rates are negotiated with the author.”

Submission Fee: $2.00.

Overland 215 Winter 2014

OVERLAND LITERARY JOURNAL

Description: “Overland, the most radical of Australia’s long-standing literary and cultural magazines, celebrates its 60th year in 2014. Overland’s mission is to foster new, original and progressive work exploring the relationship between politics and culture, especially literature, and to bring that work to as many people as possible.”

Submission Guidelines: “Overland publishes fiction by new and diverse writers (as well as some established authors) with a focus on work that is politically engaged, intellectually challenging and emotionally charged, across a range of genres and styles. We actively look for new work from emerging writers in regional Australia. We ask all authors to submit their work via an electronic submission manager. Though submissions by non-subscribers will be read, those by subscribers will be prioritised. You can support Overland and become a subscriber here.”

Submission Deadline: Submissions open.

Estimated Response Time: “The quantity [of submissions] received means that the process can take some months.”

Commission:The minimum payment for stories published in the print journal is $400. Online contributors for this edition will be paid $100 per story.

THE LIFTED BROW

Description: “The Lifted Brow is a bimonthly magazine based in Melbourne. Every two months, the Brow publishes fiction, art, comics, and commentary on everything from maths to celebrity to design. It’s just meant to be fun and smart. The Brow relies on sales for survival, especially those lovely people who subscribe. For that reason, we prioritise submissions by subscribers. ”

Submission Guidelines: Submit your piece online here. Read submission guidelines first. “If you’re writing short short stories—stories under 100 words—please send fifteen to twenty at once, in a single document. We also love love love long fiction – 5000 words and above. Even 10,000. 15,000! There’s no limit on the amount of pieces you can submit, but be sensible. You can only submit one piece at a time.”

MASCARA LITERARY REVIEW

Description: “A bi-annual literary journal … particularly interested in the work of contemporary Asian, Australian and Indigenous writers.”

Submission Guidelines: “For fiction, submit one short story up to 3000 words, or for flash fiction send no more than 1000 words in a single Microsoft Word DOC. as an attachment, labelled with your name. Formatting must be in 12 point Times New Roman, 1.5 spaced. Please identify your attachment by surname. You need to write the word fiction in the subject title of your e-mail. Send your work to submissions@mascarareview.com.”

Submission Deadline: Submissions for issue 16 will be accepted from 1 June 2014 to 15 August 2014.

Estimated Response Time: They are only able to notify successful contributors. Response time is 3-6 months.

Commission: Payment is applicable to Australian fiction writers: $100.

Submission Guidelines: “Offset is looking for creative pieces that celebrate and engage with the diverse cultures that enrich our communities. All submissions must have the completed Offset Submission Form available on the website and can be sent via email to offset.submissions@students.vu.edu.au.”

Submission Deadline: Friday 6th June 2014 at 5pm. NOW CLOSED.

Estimated Response Time: Every year between March and May.

Commission: None.

The June 2009 issue of Antipodes is a special issue on fear in Australian literature and film entitled Terror Australis Incognita?

ANTIPODES

Description: “Antipodes, the official journal of the American Association of Australasian Literary Studies, is published in June and December of each year. The journal welcomes critical essays on any aspect of Australian and New Zealand literature and culture, and comparative studies are especially encouraged. Additionally, Antipodes welcomes short fiction, excerpts from novels, drama and poetry written by Australian and New Zealand authors.”

Submission Guidelines: “Fiction manuscripts should be sent to the Antipodes Fiction Editor, Jack Bennett, via email at mailto:jbennett@uoregon.edu”>jbennett@uoregon.edu, or via mail to
Jack Bennett
3285 Lincoln Street, Eugene
OR 97405.
Creative works submitted to Antipodes must not be previously published nor should they be under consideration elsewhere while being reviewed by the journal’s editorial board.While critical essays are welcomed from all authors, creative works should be submitted by Australian writers only.

Submission Deadline: “The June 2014 issue will be devoted to the pedagogy of Australian and New Zealand literature. Most of the prospective articles have already been invited but we do have room for one or two articles in specific pedagogical occasions (a course, a class, a syllabus) in the teaching of Antipodean literature.”

Estimated Response Time: Unknown.

Commission: Each story in Antipodes is awarded US$100 and one complimentary copy of the journal, while poems are awarded US$50 and a copy of Antipodes.

The Looming Prospect of a Second Cold War

QUADRANT

Description: “Quadrant accepts unsolicited, previously unpublished articles that fit within its general profile of a journal of ideas, essays, literature, poetry and historical and political debate. Although it retains its founding bias towards cultural freedom, anti-totalitarianism and classical liberalism, its pages are open to any well-written and thoughtful contribution. Some of our writers are internationally renowned; some are previously unknown.”

Submission Guidelines: Length of articles and stories varies between 1500 and 5000 words.

Submission Deadline: “Quadrant is published ten times a year, monthly, except for combined issues in January-February and July-August. Each year we publish more than 200 articles, 200 poems, 70 book reviews, 20 short stories and 75 letters to the editor.”

Estimated Response Time: Unknown.

Commission: Quadrant pays contributors for articles, reviews, poems and short fiction. All contributions should be accompanied by either an ABN number (and GST Status) or a Statement by a Supplier. Failure to do this may result in 48.5 per cent of any payment being withheld for remittance to the Australian Taxation Office. Overseas contributors are exempt from this requirement.

Aurealis #71

AUREALIS

Submission Guidelines: “Aurealis is looking for science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2000 and 8000 words. All types of science fiction, fantasy and horror that are of a “speculative” nature will be considered, but we do not want stories that are derivative in nature, particularly those based on TV series. Crime horror submissions should be directed to another market. Read specific guidelines here.“

Submission Deadline: Submissions closed during December and January.

Estimated Response Time: Unknown.

Commission:Aurealis pays between $20 and $60 per 1000 words, depending on the level of government grants received, and payment will be made soon after the publication of the issue containing your story. Minimum payment is $20. You will also receive a free electronic copy of the issue containing your story.

ANALOG

Submission Guidelines: “Our online submissions form for fiction asks for your name, email address, cover letter, story title, and story. Your cover letter should contain the length of your story, your publishing history and any other relevant information (e.g., if you send us a story about a medical disaster and you happen to be an emergency room nurse, mention that.). We ask for the same information for poetry. Please fill out a separate form for each poem submitted for consideration. All stories and poems should be in standard manuscript format and can be submitted in Word .DOC format. For information about standard formatting, see William Shunn’s guide to Proper Manuscript Format.

After you have submitted your work, a tracking number will be displayed and an automated email confirmation containing this information will be sent to you. If you have not received this email within twenty-four hours, please notify us by email. Your tracking number will allow you to monitor the status of your submission through our website, so please don’t lose it.

Estimated Response Time: “Our average response time runs about two to three months. If you have not heard from us in four months, you can query us about the submission at analog@dellmagazines.com.”

Commission: “Analog pays 7-9 cents per word for short stories up to 7,500 words, $525-675 for stories between 7,500 and 10,000 words, 7-7.5 cents per word for longer material, and 5 cents per word for serials. We prefer lengths between 2,000 and 7,000 words for shorts, 10,000-20,000 words for novelettes, and 40,000-80,000 for serials. Fact articles are paid for at the rate of 7 cents per word.”

The Big Issue 2014

THE BIG ISSUE

Description: “The Big Issue is an independent magazine that publishes informative and entertaining articles on a huge variety of subjects including arts and entertainment, street culture, lifestyle and personal profiles. We are always looking for good-quality writers. The Big Issue is a not-for-profit organisation, set up to help people who have experienced homelessness, marginalisation and disadvantage. The magazine is sold for $6, with $3 going directly to the vendor.”

Submission Guidelines: “We expect that you read The Big Issue, and have a good idea of the sorts of stories we like and the style of writing we prefer. Keep in mind that we are an independent publication and are thus able to do stories other magazines and papers might not be able to do.

As well as our core content (current affairs and weightier social issues), we’re also interested in stories focused on street culture and quirky, humorous or unusual topics. What we are looking for is good writing that helps us put a human face on all the issues we cover. Whether you want to contribute satire, hard news, investigative journalism or light-hearted pieces, the most important thing is clear writing and a compelling human perspective. Serious topics need to be tackled in such a way as to keep the reader interested – we encourage first-person, experience based pieces.”

Submission deadline: Submissions open.

Estimated Response Time: “Because we have a small editorial team it may be some time before we can respond to your submission.”

Commission: “Because we are a not-for-profit organisation, we are unable to offer commercial pay rates. Our usual rate of pay for features and news stories is 20 cents a word. We don’t guarantee payment until the piece is published, and payment is made according to the price agreed upon at the time it is commissioned.”

Wet Ink issue 17

WET INK

Description: “Wet Ink is put together by a passionate team of writers and a designer who decided to do something about the lack of opportunities for writers to publish their short works and readers to access them. Inside each issue you’ll find fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction, interviews, photography, book reviews and more. It’s the place to discover some of today’s best up-and-coming talent, as well as new works by established authors.”

Submission Guidelines: “Send no more than three submissions. Only hard copies considered. Put your name on the cover sheet but NOT on the work. Text should be double spaced in Times New Roman 12pt. No word limit—although the longer a piece is, the more outstanding it needs to be to replace two or three shorter. Also interested in shorter pieces (to 500 words) that are funny, snappy, experimental or thought-provoking.” (Full guide here).